The Scrambler has spent the last few months looking for any outlet to satisfy his Golf passion. We’ve written about a few here recently, including Yahoo Fantasy Golf, Indoor Golf Simulators, and perusing GolfClubAtlas.com. I’ll add another of my favorites to the list – the online escape call World Golf Tour (www.wgt.com).
For those of you not familiar with WGT, it is a FREE online golf game that features the likes of St. Andrews, Oakmont, and Kiawah Island, as well as a number of others. I discovered WGT last winter, several days after upgrading my EA Sports Tiger Woods golf series. I haven’t touched the TW Series since.
Most computer golf games feature visual renderings of the surrounding landscapes, and have come a long way since the early days of Links or early TW versions. But WGT simply takes it to another level. Instead of launching drives into a computer-generated drawing, shots in WGT are played on a canvas of High Definition photography using Flash technology. If you really want to know what it looks like standing on the 17th tee at St. Andrews, you won’t find it anywhere else but WGT. Short of taking a TransAtlantic trip, you won’t find a better way to familiarize yourself with every inch of the hallowed links.
The quality of WGT doesn’t stop with HD graphics. The game-play is far superior to any other, primarily because it is nowhere near as predictable. In the TW series, if you land anywhere on the green, the bounce and roll-out will be the same almost every time, because the impact of green contour has not been reflected. Leaving shots within a few feet of the hole is a fairly simple exercise. Now travel to the WGT world of St. Andrews, and you will finally realize what makes this course the most beloved and honored in the game. A 3 yard difference in carry at St. Andrews may yield wildly different results, mirroring the fickle reality of our sport.
If you have ever enjoyed video golf, you owe it to yourself to check out WGT. The site features a number of different formats, including “Closest-to-the-Pin” Contests, Stroke Play, “Blitz” events, as well as Match Play or Alternate Shot, if you want to interact with other virtual Golfers. There are always competitions running, so you can see how your game stacks up against the WGT community.
WARNING: Do not start if your have impending work deadlines in the very near future. WGT can be addicting and erode away hours of free time with no effort. The beauty of the site is that you can choose to play at whatever level you want. You can have an enjoyable experience playing with the “standard set” of clubs provided by the game. However, if you want to “upgrade” your equipment for a little more length or accuracy, you can do so for a nominal cost (which is much less than the cost of purchasing any other game simulator).
Take a visit and let us know what you think.
